Display assemblage



M. FINK DISPLAY ASSEMBLAGE pril 28, 1942,

Filed Dec. 14, 1939 ATTORNEY J20 Fig. 2

Patented Apr. 28, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENTTOFFICE DISPLAY ASSEMBLAGE Morris Fink, New York, N. Y. Application December 14, 1939, Serial No. 309,193

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a display assemblage, in the general nature of a picture frame.

The primary object of my invention is to generally improve picture frames. A further object is to facilitate very rapid assembly and disassembly of the picture frame, in order to readily change the picture being displayed. A more particular object is to make it possible to readily produce original and attractive displays, by the use of striking colored backgrounds. For this purpose I provide each display unit with a large assortment of interchangeable differently colored background sheets, the display units preferably being speedily and conveniently openable for changing the contents or/and colored background.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, my invention consists in the display unit or picture frame elements, and their relation one to the other, as hereinafter are more particularly described in the specification, and sought to be defined in the claims. The specification is accompanied by a drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a display unit embodying features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the display unit showing the parts in disassembled relation;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a part of the display unit, drawn to enlarged scale and showing how the parts are assembled;

Fig. 4 shows several of the color backgrounds which are supplied with and form a most important part of the display unit; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the frame used to display a printed notice.

Referring to the drawing, the display unit comprises a back [2, a glass front H, a colored background sheet i6 (Fig. 2), and top and bottom moldings l 8 and 20.

The back I2 may be made of heavy suitably bound or protected cardboard, and has an easel type support 22 secured thereto, as by means of appropriate rivets 24. A flexible tape or tension member 26 extends between the support 22 and the back l2.

The glass front I4 is preferably a thick clear glass which is at least slightly beveled on all eight edges, as is indicated at 28 (Fig. 3).

The background sheet [6 is a comparatively heavy sheet of colored paper having a soft rich finish. The display unit as sold includes a batch of differently colored background sheets. A number of these are indicated in fanned relation the same as the back [2 and the glass front M of the display unit. In a typical case the display unit is supplied with fourteen background sheets,

these being lavender, deep blue, sky blue, green, French gray, mottled gray, yellow, grayish tan, tan, brown, carmine red, burgundy red, black and white. These are mentioned as examples and not in limitation of the invention.

The moldings l8 and 20 are preferably made with a rather wide back wall 30 and a narrower front wall 32, the latter having a reversely folded edge 34. The walls 30 and 32 converge slightly and are so spaced apart as to receive the display assemblage with a snug springy fit. As one example, the material may be stainless steel with a chromium-plated finish.

To assemble the frame with a desired picture 40 it is first necessary to select a background sheet 16 of desired color. The background may be selected for harmony, or for contrast. From the standpoint of appearance, it is the most important single element in the display unit. The parts are then put in superposed relation. It is not necessaryto use paste or glue to hold the insert 40 in proper position. It is simply centered in the desired manner, and the assemblage is then held together while the upper and lower channels I8 and 20 are slid into place. As seen in dotted lines in Figure 3, the channel member may he slid into place by applying the channel at an angle and then swinging same around into proper position. The shorter leg of the channel acts as a pivot for the channel, and the rear face acts as a guide'to guide the channel into position.

There is a wealth of fine display material available in magazines, and a storekeeper may cut out colorful and modish illustrations which are suitable to his own ideas. Style pictures may be taken from style magazines for use in clothing stores; food pictures for use in food stores; and so on. Most of these businesses have trade magazines from which excellent material may be taken, as well as from ordinary magazines. The pictures may be cut in silhouette, as is shown at 40 in Fig. 1, in which case they form a striking contrast with and are set off by the colorful background, because the background [6 comes right up to and intimately surrounds the edge of the figure being displayed.

. Cold pale background colors may be used for a in Fig. 4. Each sheet is preferably dimensioned winter display, for example, winter clothing, and warmer colors for a summer display.

The display units may be used at different counters in a department store, .each displaying a timely picture or advertisement appropriate for that counter. The pictures may be changed from day to day with the same case as though they were being displayed in crudely unframed condition. But with the present invention they are displayed over special color backgrounds, tending to greatly enhance the beauty of the illustrations and to strongly attract the eye of a passerby.

If the picture is cut out in silhouette there is a large area of bright color directly encompassing the outline of the picture, and this completely changes the appearance of the picture compared to the original. not cut in silhouette it is preferably dimensioned substantially smaller than the display unit, in order to provide a wide border area the colorful nature of which sets off the picture in a unique and advantageous way, and this markedly im-- proves the appearance of the picture for display purposes.

Business concerns, such as banks, insurance companies, etc. use the frame for notices and bulletins. Such notices are cut smaller than the display unit, as is shown at 42 in Fig. 5, so as to be surrounded by a background of contrasting color. Urgent notices or new notices may, for example, be placed over a red background, and other colors may be used for different types of notice. These will arrest the attention of the observer. Moreover, in some establishments, it may be desired to use a color code, one color being used for notices to salesmen, another color for notices 'to stenographic help, another for clerks, and so forth.

It is believed that the construction and method of use, as well as the many advantages of my improved display unit, will be apparent from the foregoing detailed description thereof. It will also be apparent that while I have shown and described my invention in a preferred form, many changes and modifications may be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention, as sought to be defined in the following claims.

Iclaim:

1. A readily separable display'unit for the dis-. play of pictures or the like, said unit comprising a back, a glass front, an assortment-of colored background sheets having the same dimension as the back and the glass and providing a variety of background colors any of which may be used, and independent channel-shaped pieces of metal so dimensioned as to fit over the edge of the Even if the picture is assemblage of back and background and glass with a snug friction fit, said channels having a comparatively wide back wall and a narrower front wall, the edge of said front wall being reversely folded, and said channels being held in position solely by friction, whereby the display unit may be assembled and disassembled rapidly and without the use of tools.

2. A readily separable picture frame assemblage comprising a back with an easel-type support, a glass front having smooth beveled edges, and independent top and bottom moldings, said moldings being channel-shaped pieces of metal having a comparatively wide back wall and a narrower front wall, the edge of said front wall being reversely folded, each channel being so dimensioned as to fit over the edge of the assemblage of back and glass with a snug springy fit, and to hold its position solely by friction, whereby the frame may be assembled and disassembled rapidly and without the use of tools.

3. A readily separable picture frame assemblage comprising a back withan easel-type support, a glass front having smooth beveled edges, an assortment of colored background sheets having the same dimension as the back and the glass and providing a variety of background colors any of which may be used, and independent top and bottom moldings, said moldings being channelshaped pieces of metal having a comparatively wide back wall and a narrower front wall, the edge of said front wall being reversely folded, said channels being so dimensioned as to fit over the edge of the assemblage of back and background sheet and glass with a snug springy fit, said top and bottom moldings being the sole means for holding the assemblage together, and being held in place solely by friction, whereby the frame may be assembled and disassembled rapidly and without the use of tools.

4. A readily separable display unit for the display of pictures or the like, said unit comprising a back, a glass front, and independent channelshaped pieces of metal so dimensioned as to fit over the edge of the assemblage of back and glass with arsnug friction fit, said channels having a comparatively wide back wall and a narrower front wall, the edge of said front wall being reversely folded, said channels being held in position solely by friction, whereby the display unit may be assembled and disassembled rapidly and without the use of tools.

MORRIS FINK. 

